RESEARCH METHODS AND

PRESENTATION (ECEG4341)
Chapter Six

Reporting Research Finding

Part I: Written

5/10/2021 Haramaya University, IoT, ECE

 Objectives
2

 After completing this chapter you will

 have acquired the skills necessary to effectively
communicate your research findings using both a written
and oral medium.
 be able to prepare a scientific presentation
 Identify your audience
 organize your presentation to be informative
 consider stylistic issues to make your presentation
interesting
 avoid common errors

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Framework of Research
3

Imagination Coincidence Knowledge Information Curiosity Question Stupidity

Problem

Nosense
Observation
Errors

Falsification
Induction

Perception
Deduction

Frauds
Statement
Revolution Obstacles
Experiment
Inadequacy
Law
Model
Prediction 5/10/2021
Crisis Inadequacy
Estimation
 A simple (linear)
schematic representation of the research process
4
Knowing Research Method

Identify Research Problem Practical Judgment

Preliminary Literature Review

Develop Research Idea Planning Research

Formulate Research Problem Theoretical Framework
Literature Review

Research Hypothesis & Design

Data Collection
Conducting Research
Data Analysis

Interpretation & Conclusion

Publication
 Writing a Scientific Report: Introduction
5

 Today, one of the most basic means of communication in

our professional life is written presentation
 scientific paper
 conference report

 technical report

 Abstract

 theses/dissertation (Full-length papers)

 research (thesis) proposal

 Books

 manuals

 assignment report
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Writing vs Oral presentation
6

 Written presentations are exposed to readers

 The communication between author(s) & readers are indirect
 In verbal presentations reports are exposed to audience
 The communication between author(s) & audiences are direct
 Face-to-face (Oral)
 Time factor
 Is like ROM vs RAM
 to avoid any confusion on the part of the reader, written
presentations demand
 Logic
 clarity and
 precision
 Poster is a kind of combination

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Elements of Good Technical Writing
7

 Technical Writing
 Generally, writing is presentation of ideas using text
 Technical writing is “To structure information using both text and design to
achieve an intended purpose for clearly defined audiences” (G.J.Alfred,et.al.
Handbook of Technical writing, 7th ed., Martin’s Press)
 Engineers perform technical writing to communicate pertinent information
that is needed by upper management to make intelligent decisions that
will effect a company’s future
 Technical writing is NOT used to entertain, create suspense or invite
differing interpretations
 Technical writing is not only writing “good sentences”
 Normally writing is an art
 This section will not impart all the artistic skills to turn you into an
accomplished author
 However, it will provide you with guidelines and tips that will improve
your writing skills sufficiently to serve a purpose.
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Elements of Good Technical Writing
8

 Thoughtfulness:
 What is written has been thought of several times over.
Persuasive and economical, both in structure and words.
 Correctness:
 Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proper syntax
 Appropriateness:
 Have the right tone (professional) and avoids verbosity
 Readability:
 Text flows smoothly, reader knows where the paragraph is
heading, summaries may be used to assist the reader to
digest the chapter or section.
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Characteristics of Good Research Report
9

 Good research report

 Is succinct and formal: Tries to say a lot in few words

 Is professional and serious

 Maintains accuracy and clarity

 Always keeps objectives and audience in mind

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Example: writing a literature review
10

 “… all literature is not eligible for inclusion.“

 Even the peer reviewed and peer refereed publications should
be evaluated critically before inclusion in a literature review
 A successful literature review:
 presents an overview of relevant research; provides a
commentary on the literature in the field
 states or indicates what one plans to do to expand existing
knowledge
 highlights the similarities and differences between the current
work and the work of others
 says why and how the study will contribute to the existing
knowledge
 locates the research problem within a theoretical framework and
review the underlying theory
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Steps in Writing
11

 Preparing :
 Assess your readers
 Establish clearly you writing goals

 Frame and keep the main points and the overall report
in mind.
 Organizing
 Composing
 Reviewing with the view to revise

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Steps in Writing: Preparing: The target
12
audience
 “One does not write to himself, writing is targeted
for the benefit of others ”
 “Focus on the need of the reader, not on the writer’s
desire. ”
 Identify the relevant target audience
 we want the report to be read by as many interested
current and future researchers as possible
 at times it may be necessary to prepare a report for
policy makers, general public, etc

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Steps in Writing: Preparing: The target
13
audience…
 Issues to remember
 Not properly identifying your reader usually leads to
some mistakes in writing (such as use of abbreviations)
 Anyone who picks up to read your writing is either
interested in acquiring new information or achieving a
better understanding.
 in order to serve the reader, your paper should have
pertinent information.
 the information you would like to convey must be presented
in an arrangement such that the reader will not spend an
inordinate amount of time in extracting the information.
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Steps in Writing: Preparing: Purpose
14

 The goals of technical writing are:

 To tell others what you found and how you found it (them)
 This is a record of your research process, not just a summary of your
findings
 To let others benefit from your work and experience (includes
negative experiences)
 To give an indication of where you or other researchers might go
next
 Scientific progress is the cumulative effect of ideas that were
effectively communicated over many centuries.
 a very good idea that is not effectively communicated may be
lost
 Do not have impact or contribution to the advancement of science.

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Steps in Writing : The Organization
15

“The key to making writing informative is organization ”

 The organization of the paper refers to the structure
 the sequence in which you present each type of information.
 Organization is very important to convey your ‘idea’ in
a comprehensive and meaningful way
 Due emphasis should be given to how the flow of
information is organized to attain a fluidity and
cohesiveness to the reader
 Remember you are writing to provide a scientific service to
the reader, not to unload all that you know onto a white
sheet of paper

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Steps in Writing: The Organization
16

 Organizing
 Decide on the structure and outline
 Prepare a complete outline for each element of the structure

 Decide on and make the basic units of the structure

 Organize the Units

 Write about the structure so that your reader understands
how your report is organized and presented.
 Write an outline for every chapter/section

 Select the main points or ideas to be included and the order

of their presentation

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 General structure of a research report
17

 Title
 Acknowledgement
 Abstract
 (Table of Contents)
 (Lists of Figures and Tables )
 Introduction
 Literature Review
 Materials and methods
 Results
 Discussion/Conclusion
 References
 Appendices, where applicable

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Title
18

 The title is a short statement that encapsulates the

main thrust of the paper

 The title should accurately reflect the content of the

paper.
A specific and concise title is crucial to persuade the
reader to continue reading the paper.

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Acknowledgement
19

 The acknowledgement is non-debatable in most respects

 Generally, those persons who have professionally contributed to
the work be it in kind or in ideas must be acknowledged.
 you also need to acknowledge the institutions that have provided
funding, research space, manpower, etc towards your research
project.
 Finally, you may want to mention individuals who have provided
personal support and assistance that is separate from
professional help.
 However, do not overdo it
 There is no need to mention those individuals that hampered or
somehow made your work more difficult

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Abstract
20

 “An abstract is the summary of the paper that is read the most. “
 Even though, the abstract immediately follows the title page, it is usually
best to write it after you have written the entire paper
 The abstract is a short summary of the information in the paper that
provides an overview of the purpose, scope, and findings contained in
the report
 An abstract should include
 the principal objective and scope of the investigation
 describe the methodology employed
 summarize the results and
 state the principal conclusion.
 Abstract thus provides an “in a nut shell” description without
providing underlying details
 If the title is the bait that lures the reader, the abstract is the hook
that captures his/her attention to continue reading
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Introduction
21

 The Introduction prepares the reader to read the main body of the
report.
 It focuses on the subject, purpose, and scope of the report.
 The Subject defines the topic and associated terminology; may include theory,
historical background, and its significance.
 The Purpose indicates the reason for the investigation, objectives.
 The Scope indicates the extent and limits of the investigation
 State in the introduction
 statement of the problem
 problem must be pinpointed;
 Goals and significance of the study
 Relation to other issues
 Purpose of the study relative to the problem
 Review, critique, and summarize related research
 N.B this part may be partitioned

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Materials, Methods & (Assumptions)
22
 The Methods, Materials & (Assumptions) section answers the question
: “ how did you study the problem?”.
 The Methods, Materials & (Assumptions) used in the investigation are
described so the reader could duplicate the procedures of the
investigation.
 The contents of this component are discipline specific
 In the social sciences, you may not have laboratory equipment, but you
may list the questionnaire you used.
 Methods indicate, such as how you discovered the problem? What
measuring tools were used? What measurement system was used?
 Assumptions :What do you think, but cannot substantiate as fact?
 It is thus important to describe the experimental design used, how the
data was analyzed and test methods used.
 This will allow the reader to assess whether you have properly planned
and executed the research project.
 The information provided should be as detailed as possible.
Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021
 Results
23

 Core section of the scientific report

 The results (and discussion) component answers the question:
 “What did you obtain from the experiments you conducted?”.
 The results section
 describes what you learned about the problem as a result of your research
 identifies the degree of accuracy related to your findings and
 gives the reader your view of the significance of your findings.
 Results include:
 assumptions and definitions; theorems, simulations, experiments; limitation of
your results
 You are expected to present the results you obtained from the methods and
materials
 The presentation of the results must be clear and arranged in a logical
order.
 Results will usually be heavy in tables, figures/graphs, charts, etc.

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 …Results
24

 If your research was quantitative

 it is best to present your results in tables and figures/graphs in
stead of words.
 make sure that you properly label your tables and note the
legends of your figures
 Each table/figure should be a stand alone as an information
snippet
 The words in the body of the paper that accompany each table
or figure are to provide further elaboration of the results.
 At times the reader may chose to skim through the charts, tables
and figures presented in your results section to get a quick grasp
of the results you obtained to help him/her decide on whether to
read the entire paper

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Discussion, conclusion & recommendations
25

 Depending on your area of specialization this

component may be called discussion or conclusion.
 This component basically answers the question:
 “What do the results mean?”
 This component (which may also be part of Results), always
related to objectives
 It gives discussions on
 Interpretation of your results
 Generalizations and abstractions from your results
 Description how accurate your findings are
 What is the significance of the results of the research.

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 …Discussion, conclusion & recommendations
26

 Conclusion
 Is summary of the report – the work and the results.
 Restatement of results:
 What are the factual findings that resulted from your research?
 What are you implying as a result of these findings?
 Concluding Remarks: What are your opinions based on the findings and results?
 Recommendations :
 may indicate a course of action on the applications of the results and findings or
suggestions for future work
 The results you obtained are not isolated from previous scientific
knowledge.
 you not only provide the reader with interpretation of the results, but you are
also expected to put your interpretation in context of the existing body of
scientific knowledge.
 N.B. Establish a clear and unambiguous statement on how your
interpretation of the results has addressed your objectives

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 References
27

 The references section is the place where the author cites all of the
secondary research sources that were used
 This section lists all the previously published sources of information that you
have cited in the body of the paper.
 Only the papers cited, not all the papers that you have read or consulted, are
referenced.
 If you deem a source of information should be cited in the references section,
then you must have mentioned it in the body of the paper.
 Example: In the text:
 [3]; Name et al. [4];Name(1993).
 In reference list
 [3] J.Strohbehn, Ed. Laser Beam Propagation in the Atmosphere. New York:
Springer, 1978.
 [4] E.Shin and V.Chan, “Optical communication over the turbulent atmospheric
channel using spatial diversity" in proc. IEEE Conf. Commun., 2002, pp. 2005-
2060

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

 Review Questions
28

1. In written presentations, the communication between author(s) &

readers are ____________
2. State the main differences between written and oral presentations
3. Technical writings are used to entertain, create suspense however,
should not invite differing interpretations [True/False]
4. List and explain elements of good technical writing
5. What are the characteristics of good research report?
6. What are the main points you must consider while you prepare
you reports?
7. The main goal of technical writing is________
8. The core section of the scientific report is the results component. it
answers how the experiments are conducted [True/False]
9. List the purposes of results section of a scientific report

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021

Assignment 4: Result & Discussion
Conclusion & Recommendation
29

1. Write result and discussion part of your project

 Must include:
 Results
 Simulation
 Test
 Interpretation of the results obtained
 Implication(s) of results
2. Conclusion
 Must state:
 Your findings
 How much has results have addressed your objectives
3. Recommendation
 Indicate the applications of the results and findings or suggestions for
future work

Haramaya University, Haramaya Institute of Technology, SECE 5/10/2021